“It would probably strip my flesh while giving me vocabulary lessons. I'd be dead but smarter. How's that for glass half full?”

“I launched into a graceful ninja-like front roll, then stood my ground to face the monstrous heathen, fearless in my determination to vanquish the deadly foe. Nah, just kidding. I bolted, discretion being the better part of not getting dead.”

“Smite me? You think you can smite me? Do you even know what that means?I shrugged. "What do you think it means?" I thought I'd gotten it right."Nothing," she cackled, "Absolutely nothing because you couldn't smite me even if you knew what it meant.""Really? A minute ago you didn't think I could see you. How do you know what I can't do?"That slowed her down."Trust me, if I can see you, I can smite you." - Aurora to Peaches”

“One hand planted on the top rail, slick from a recent rain, I swung my legs sideways, up and over. Home free. Until my bottom foot clipped the post, and I spun as if caught in a crocodile’s death roll.Good news? The spongy forest floor cushioned my fall.Bad news? Momentum slammed my torso into a tree trunk. Couldn’t breathe.But good news again. I’d rolled under a fat, bushy pine, which, along with the fading twilight, concealed my position. I heard the beast fly overhead in pursuit, taking out a few treetops on its way by. Yeah, that was my plan all along. Man, I’m good. Except my body. It hurt.”

“I reached for something to break my fall. The ground obliged.”

“Ayden strolled up and nonchalantly tossed me the keys. I caught them with ease. Nah, I dropped them. Okay, technically I didn’t drop them. I just flinched when they hit me in the shoulder then I watched them drop. Did I mention I didn’t sleep well?”

“Ironic, is it not, that the great Divinicus Nex cowers in fear from that which should be her fated prey? A decidedly diametric circumstance."What? It's irritating when the monster hunting you has a better vocabulary than your own. Maybe it could do my eulogy?”